1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for performing color conversion, an image processing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is provided an electrophotographic printer including a function for changing color matching methods with respect to images. “Perceptual (photographic)”, “Colorimetric (minimum color-difference)”, “Saturation (vivid color)”, and “Match Color with Monitor Color” are examples of the color matching methods. The Perceptual (photographic) is a color matching method for making an image vivid, whereas the Saturation (vivid color) is a color matching method for making graphics and texts vivid. These matching methods can be applied to the entire image, or can be changed at each object included in the image. By providing the various color matching methods, a user can select and use desired color matching methods in a suitable manner, so that an image with colors that satisfy needs of the user can be printed.
In a case of making an image vivid, “Vivid Photo” is known as a color matching method capable of making colors deeper and more vivid than in the Perceptual (photographic). For example, by changing the color matching method applied to the image from “Perceptual (photographic)” to “Vivid Photo”, the image can be generated with more vivid colors. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-038498 discusses a method for making an image vivid by specifying the Vivid Photo.
However, even if the color matching method for making the image vivid (such as the Vivid Photo) is set thereto, there may be a case where a vivid image cannot be acquired depending on an input image. For example, as for the color that is mapped in a vicinity of a boundary of a printer color reproduction range when color matching is performed by specifying the photographic, vividness thereof cannot be improved even if the color matching method is changed to the Vivid Photo.